Liverpool v Red Star Belgrade: Live matchday blog

Liverpool moved to the top of Group C with a 4-0 win against Red Star Belgrade in their Champions League tie at Anfield.

Firmino put Liverpool in front on 20 minutes

Salah double extended lead before and after break

Mane bagged fourth shortly after missing penalty

Post-match

How it stands

PSG scored a stoppage-time equaliser to salvage a 2-2 draw with Napoli in the group's other game tonight, meaning Liverpool now top the section at its halfway point..

Post-match

Here are the full-time stats from Anfield...

Full Time

Liverpool 4-0 Red Star

And that's it at Anfield, where it's job done for the home team. Goals from Firmino, Salah (two) and Mane mark a comfortable performance for Klopp's men, who move onto six points in Champions League Group C.

90+2

Should be five.

Sturridge's outside-of-the-boot pass to Firmino is turned superbly around the corner for Mane's run towards the area but the Senegal international knocks his attempt wide of the near post from the left.

89

Sturridge tries his luck from a similar position to his stunner at Stamford Bridge last month. It's a good effort - though probably heading wide - and Borjan tips it away to be safe.

Substitution

Goal

Wijnaldum seizes on a loose pass out by Red Star and feeds Sturridge, who calmly rolls an assist to the left for Mane, who controls and prods past the onrushing goalkeeper.

Liverpool 4-0 Red Star

76

Penalty

Penalty to Liverpool!

... but it's missed.

Red Star are penalised inside the area and Mane steps up for the spot-kick. He swerves it towards the top left of the goal but Borjan gets a touch on the ball and sends it against the crossbar and away, with the Liverpool forward unable to pounce on the rebound.

75

Substitution

And that's the last contribution from Jovicic, who is replaced by Causic.

74

Yellow Card

Jovicic now receives a caution for a clumsy tackle on Robertson.

73

Substitution

Another Liverpool switch - Sturridge is on for Salah.

73

Red Star threaten as Jovancic carries the ball through a succession of Liverpool tackles from his own half and tries to release Jovicic to his left - but sublime recovery defending by Gomez denies the away team.

68

Substitution

First change for Liverpool and it's a standing ovation for Shaqiri as he goes off to be replaced by Lallana.

Substitution

Still the Reds keep attacking and Firmino takes a more direct approach towards a fourth goal with a well-struck blast from outside the box that Borjan bats away.

55

Yellow Card

Krsticic now goes into the book, too.

54

Great chance for Alexander-Arnold to bag a fourth but the full-back's attempt to lift a shot over the goalkeeper from Fabinho's brilliant diagonal into the box doesn't quite come off. Unlucky.

51

Goal

GOALLLLL!!!! SALAH!!!

It's Salah who steps up to take responsibility from 12 yards and the forward makes no mistake with a firm, central finish at the Kop end. That's 50 Liverpool goals for the Egyptian King.

Liverpool 3-0 Red Star

50

Yellow Card

Stojkovic is booked for the foul.

50

Penalty

Penalty to Liverpool!

Mane's trickery inside the area causes problems for Red Star and when Stojkovic stops him with a physical challenge and the No.10 goes down, the referee points to the spot.

48

Fabinho fires a shot wide from 20 yards having been neatly set up by Mane. It's all one way at the moment...

47

Liverpool have started positively in the very early stages of the second half, exchanging passes in slick fashion with a confident air about them.

46

Kick-Off

Second half

Salah kicks off for the Reds and we have resumed at Anfield...

Half-time

Elsewhere in the group

Paris Saint-Germain host Napoli in the section's other game tonight and it's the Italians with the upper hand after 45 minutes, Lorenzo Insigne's goal the difference between the teams.

Half Time

Liverpool 2-0 Red Star

So far, so good for the Reds at Anfield. Goals from Firmino and Salah have earned a two-goal advantage in this Champions League Group C tie.

45

Goal

GOALLLLLL!!!!!! SALAH!!!!

That's another lovely Liverpool goal.

Wijnaldum fires a forward pass into Shaqiri at the edge of the Red Star area and his perfect angled touch into Salah's run allows the No.11 to pick his spot with a rising, right-footed drive.

Liverpool 2-0 Red Star

43

Another decent opening for the Reds as the pace of their play catches the visitors, with Robertson on the end of this opportunity - the Scot slashes wide when set up on his side, however.

37

More good passing work by Liverpool from left to right, initially prompted by Fabinho's surging dribble, leads to Shaqiri trying his luck from the edge of the box - but it's straight at Borjan in the Red Star goal.

34

The Reds are well on top at present and are finding spaces around the Red Star defence with much more regularity than in the opening 20 minutes. They'll be keen to establish a cushion on the scoresheet as soon as possible.

28

Stat

Since the beginning of last season, Firmino has been directly involved in 19 Champions League goals for Liverpool - 12 goals and seven assists. No other player can match that tally.

26

Match shots

Shoot... and celebrate.

21

Liverpool almost double their lead within seconds.

Gomez's sweeping pass out to the right flank sets Alexander-Arnold scampering away and his cross to the edge of the area tees up Firmino - but the No.9's attempted flick into the path of Mane is blocked.

20

Goal

GOALLLLLL!!!! FIRMINO!!!

Well, that was worth the wait!

A wonderful Liverpool team move picks up pace when Shaqiri slides a perfect pass into the left channel for Robertson, whose square into the box for Firmino invites the Brazilian to touch, step inside his marker and lift a left-footer into the net with the aid of a deflection.

Liverpool 1-0 Red Star

17

Chance for Red Star.

Ebecilio's corner in from the right flank finds Babic with time and space 10 yards from goal but the Red Star centre-back can only direct the ball high into the Kop. A let-off for Liverpool.

15

The Reds

11

And immediately an even better opportunity.

Shaqiri lifts an inviting pass over the visiting defence and Salah controls it brilliantly as it drops out of the air, but Milan Borjan is quickly out to smother the Egyptian.

10

Liverpool produce a first real sight of goal.

Gomez's determination wins possession in Red Star territory and when Salah turns the ball through towards Firmino and Alexander-Arnold, the former's eventual blast hits the latter and sails wide.

7

No chances of note so far but Red Star have been composed when they've had the ball and have prevented the Reds from making the fast start that became their trademark in the competition last season.

2

Analyse this

You can explore the tactical ebb and flow of this tie as it happens with our interactive Opta chalkboard below...

1

It looks like a 4-2-3-1 formation for Liverpool in the early stages, with Roberto Firmino playing in behind Mohamed Salah and Xherdan Shaqiri right, Sadio Mane left.

1

Kick-Off

Off we go...

Nenad Krsticic kicks off for the away side and we're under way at Anfield.

Come on, Reds!

Pre-match

Almost time...

We're nearly ready to go here at Anfield. The final strains of You'll Never Walk Alone are ringing around the stadium and the two teams have emerged onto the pitch. Kick-off is moments away.

Pre-match

LFC statement: Main Stand experiences power supply fault

Liverpool Football Club can confirm the Main Stand has experienced a power supply fault which has affected the delivery of catering and other facilities in the Main Stand at this evening's Champions League tie with Red Star Belgrade.

The club apologises for the inconvenience to those supporters who are affected. The club is working to resolve the issue, which affects the Main Stand only.

The Reds' fixture with Red Star is going ahead as planned, with essential matchday operations functioning as normal.

Pre-match

Inside the LFC dressing room

Pre-match

Van Dijk the skipper

With Jordan Henderson out injured and James Milner among the substitutes tonight, Virgil van Dijk will wear the captain's armband for the Reds.

Pre-match

The line-ups

Here's how tonight's visitors line up at Anfield and also the suggested formations provided by Opta...

Pre-match

TEAM NEWS

Jürgen Klopp makes five changes for this evening's game as Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Fabinho, Georginio Wijnaldum and Trent Alexander-Arnold all return to the starting line-up.

The injured Jordan Henderson joins Dejan Lovren, James Milner, Daniel Sturridge and Adam Lallana in making way from the team deployed at Huddersfield Town on Saturday.

Adam Lallana was so delighted to make his first start since March against Huddersfield Town on Saturday, he even enjoyed the aches and pains that come with playing in a Premier League game.

That's according to Jürgen Klopp, who told us: “He loved it, he even loved the pain he felt during the game! That’s how it is after that long period without proper football – he was fine, he just had little cramps in the calf, but it would have been a surprise if he didn’t.

“Apart from that, everything is good. It was a good game for him; it was hard work, not for shining because there was not enough space for that. The whole game was like that, but it was good to see and to have him back.”

Project Servator is a new policing tactic used to deter and detect a range of criminal activity, from shoplifting and pickpocketing, to more serious crime including terrorism.

The campaign - launched across Merseyside earlier this year - is designed to increase vigilance within communities, encourage the reporting of suspicious behavior, whilst reassuring the general public.

LFC joins venues across the city, including the Liverpool Echo Arena, Liverpool ONE, the Albert Dock and the Merseyside Maritime Museum, to work in partnership and encourage reporting of suspicious activity.

For full details on the project and what you're likely to notice around Anfield, click here.

Jürgen Klopp has confirmed Fabinho is in contention to start for Liverpool tonight following the injuries to Jordan Henderson and Naby Keita - and the boss is pleased with how the midfielder is adapting to life with the Reds following his summer transfer from AS Monaco.

“He has had to adapt to the style of play and, if you watch Fabinho playing at Monaco, he was full of confidence. You come to a new club and it depends a bit on your personality. He’s not the loudest person on the planet.

“He is more a reserved person, looking, watching, absorbing, and it always takes a little bit more time. But on the pitch, he is back now and that’s good now. All fine."

It was actually Fabinho's birthday on Tuesday - he celebrated turning 25.

Klopp said: “It is his birthday so it would be a nice present [to play]. I didn’t make the starting line-up yet but he has been here a few months now, got used to a few things, and so we will use him.”

Pre-match

We got history...

Are you aware of the impact tonight's opponents had on transforming Liverpool's European fortunes back in the 1970s?

Allow us to fill you in the video below...

Pre-match

Cover stars...

Here's how tonight's official matchday programme looks. Get yours or subscribe online here.

Pre-match

Catching up...

Why not kick off the day by taking a look to see what Jürgen Klopp and Trent Alexander-Arnold had to say as they faced the media in the pre-match press conference at Anfield on Tuesday afternoon?

Watch it again in full for free below.

Pre-match

Good morning!

Welcome to Liverpoolfc.com's matchday blog for this evening's game with Red Star Belgrade at Anfield.

The Reds are out to get their qualification hopes back on track after a last-gasp defeat to Napoli in Italy last time out in Group C.

So, stick with us throughout the day as we bring you all the build-up to the clash, as well as the breaking team news and, of course, the match action and reaction.